Whistle for toy railways



April 6, 1937.

M. R. HALL WHISTLE FOR TOY RAILWAYS Filed Feb. 14, 1936 lilfi 26 39 40 4/5/ 2/ 43441NVENT Patented Apr. 6, 937

lTE D STATE STLE FOR TOY RAILWAYS Melvin a. Hall, Atlantic City, N. s.

Application February 14, 1936, Serial No. 63,889

12 Claims.

Thisinvention relates to a whistle for toy railways.

The invention is intended for specific application to toy electric railways and especially where it is desired to employ signaling means,

for example, simulating the whistle of .a locomotive.

It is an object of my present invention to provide an extremely simple and highly effective device which may be easily built into the usual electric toy locomotives without a great deal of additional expense to the consumer.

Another object of this invention is to provide a toy of the type described in which the motor for driving the fan runs Continuously, novel means being provided for merely interrupting the air passage of the whistle as to render it audible. Y

A further object of the invention is to provide timing means associated with the whistle as to cause it to signal at various intervals, for example, two long blasts, and a pair of short ones immediately following, each signaling operation or rather cycles of operation being automatically controlled by either the distance covered by the toy vehicle or at regular intervals of time instead of distance.

It is still a further object of my invention to associate the continuously rotatable fan blower and whistle sounding means to be actuated by means of remote control.

Other objects of. this invention will hereinafter be set forth, or will be apparent from the description and the drawing, in which is. illustrated an embodiment of apparatus for carrying out the invention.

The invention, however, is not intended to be restricted to any particular construction or arrangement of parts, or to any particular application of such construction, or to any specific manner of use, or to any of various details thereof, herein shown and described, as the same may be modified-in various particulars or be applied in many varied relations without departing from the spirit and scope of the claimed invention, the practical embodiment herein i1- lustrated and described merely being one of various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied.

motive, the invention diagrammatically illus- 55 trated in dotted lines;

0n the drawing, in which the same reference.

Figure 2 is a view in side elevation of my invention; v

Figure 3 is a similar view partially broken away, illustrating the assembly from the opposite slde;

Figure 4 is a front view of the whistle portion as illustrated in Figure 3, parts being broken away for clearness;

Figure 5 is a top plan' view of the assembly shown in Figure 3, a portion of the casing thereof being broken away and shown in section, and

Figurefi is a fragmentary side elevation, parts thereof omitted, of another embodiment of my invention.

My invention, in. the forms or embodiments shown in the drawing, and briefly described comprises a motor it which is adapted to continuously rotate the fan blower ll during the operation of the toy train, a whistle l2, a movably mounted member l3 for controlling the signaling and timing means indicated generally as at l4.

The toy locomotive is of the usual type well knownin the art and is indicated at l5 and is, of course, provided with the usual drive wheels l6 which are driven by gearing from the motor ll.

In the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figures 1, 2 and 5 inclusive is shown the timing means ,14 as being controlled from the driving gear of the locomotive, that is to say, the signaling means will be operated in direct proportion to the distance covered by the train. In this arrangement I may employ a self-contained frame indicated at l8 for housing the novelfeatures of my invention in the-form of a single unit.

The fan blower H is provided with a rotor ill I having suitably arranged blades 20 which is journalled in bearings formed in the side 'walls of the frame work l8. A pulley 2| is secured upon one end of the rotor shaft 22 for the purpose of receiving the belt 23.

The motor for continuously driving the fan blower II is indicated at 24 and maybe of the same type as is usually employed in this class of toys. The pulley 25 is secured upon the motor shaft 26 and is likewise grooved as the pulley 2| for receiving the belt 23. The fan blower II is provided with an outwardly extending and substantially tubular portion 21 which is closed at the end as shown at 28. An opening or passageway.29 is formed transversely across the outer face ot the tubular portion 21 and is suitably located as to providethe desired pitch to the whistle, simulating as near as possible the signaling device of a locomotive.

The timing means indicated generally as at l4 consists of a train of gears for rotating the cam or toothed disc 30 for the purpose which. be readily seen. Meshing with the gear wheel 3| which is the usual gear for driving the wheels I6 is a relatively small idler gear 32 suitably supported upon a bracket 33 carried by the fan blower ll. This gear 32, it will be noted, meshes with the gear 34 upon which is mounted the smaller gear 35 for driving the larger gear 36. The'gear it, it will be appreciated, is carried upon the shaft 31 which likewise supports the mitre gear 38 for the purpose of driving the similarly formed gear 39. The mitre gear 39 is secured to one end of the shaft 40 which is supported by the bearings 4| and 42 upon the shaft 40. On the end opposite from the gear 39 is secured a worm 43 and is adapted to mesh with the toothed portion 44 of the toothed disc 30.

The teeth or lugs shown at 45 and 46 may be formed on the inner side of the worm gear 30 in any usual manner, and are scanned as to simulate two long blasts and two short blasts of a train whistle. Obviously, other arrangements or numbers of teeth may be employed.-

An arm 50 is pivotally mounted at'5i to the side wall of the frame work substantially midway the length thereof for the purpose of actuating the signaling means from the toothed disc or worm gear 30. The end 52 of this arm ill, it will be noted is in the path of movement of the lugs or teeth 45 and 48 whereas the opposite end 53 thereof is provided with an arm which is adapted to engagethe transversely arranged opening 29. A coil spring 54 may be employed for maintaining the arm 50 in a position which renders the whistle inaudible.

Aswitch 55' may be employed means if desired.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in- Figure 6, the timing disc i4 which is in the form of a peripherally toothed disc I!- is driven by means of a pair of worm gears directly from the fan blower shaft 22. A vertically slidable rod 56 is provided with an off-set arm portion 51 which is adapted to overlie the transversely extendingair escape passage 29. The lower end of this rod 56, it will be noted, is provided with a flanged roller 58 and is in constant contact with the periphery of the toothed disc 59 by means of the coil spring 60.

From the foregoing description it will be readily understood that the whistle is blown at predetermined cycles which are directly proportional with either the distance covered by the toy train as when the timing mechanism is controlled by the train motor, or between regular intervals of time if the timing mechanism is driven from the fan blower. It may be here stated that should it be found desirable to cause the blowing of the whistle by means of remote control instead of automatically, as above described, I may employ a small D. C. coil in the toy train and energize or deenergize it by means of a handoperated momentary-snap switch. Obviously, in this arrangement also, the arm which overlies the transversely extending air-escape passage is caused to move from and to this passage to eiIect the blowing or silencing of the whistle. It is to be understood that I may eliminate the timing mechanism and control the blowing and the silencing of the whistle directly from the snap switch. Since the fan blower is continuously operated, it not being required to start and stop the fan motor each time the child wishes to blow for silencing the whistle or silence it, I have obtained excellent results with both of the above-mentioned embodiments of my invention.

Many other changes could be effected in the particular apparatus designed, and in the meth ods of operation and use set forth, and in specific details thereof, without substantially departing from the invention intended to be defined in the claims, the specific description herein being of an illustrative operative embodiment capable of carrying out the spirit of the invention.

What is claimed as new and useful is:-

1. In combination with a toy vehicle havin drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signalling device comprising a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle in communication with the fan blower; and a movably mounted member associated with the whistle for either obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the flow of air between the fan blower and said whistle efiecting the audible signaling thereof.

1 2. In combination with a toy vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continu ously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle in communication with the fan blower, a movably mounted member associated with the whistle for either obstructing the fiow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the flow of air between the fan blower and said whistle efiecting the audible signaling thereof, and operating means for said movably mounted member.

3. In'combination with a toy vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle in communication with the fan blower, and a movably mounted member associated with the whistle for either obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the flow of air between the fan blower andsaid whistle effecting the audible signaling thereof, said whistle having a transversely extending air-escape passage.

4. In combination with a toy vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle having a transversely extending airescape passage, said whistle being operable from the fan blower, a movable member having an arm arranged to overlie said transverse airescape passage for either obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the flow of air between the fan blower and said whistle effecting the audible signaling thereof.

5. In combination, a toy vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle having a transversely extending air-escape passage, said whistle being operable from the fan blower, a movable member having an armarranged to overlie said transverse air-escape passage for either obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the fiow of air between the fan blower and said whistle efiecting the audible signaling thereof, and operating means for said-movably mounted member.

6. In combination, a toy vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising 'a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower having a substantially tubular portion extending outwardly from the periphery of said fan blower, the extreme end of the tubular portion being closed, said tubular portion being further provided with a transversely extended air-escape opening, and a movably mounted member associated with the transversely extending opening for either obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the flow of air between the fan blower and said whistle effecting the audible signaling thereof, and said fan blower being connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle.

'7. A toy vehicle, drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent from the first named motor, a fan blower having a substantially tubular portionextending outwardly from the periphery of said fan blower, the extreme end of the tubular portion being closed, said tubular portion being further provided with a trans versely extending air-escape opening, a movably mounted member associated with the transversely extending opening for either obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, or releasing the flow of air between the fan blower and said whistle effecting the audible signaling thereof, and operating means for said movably mounted member, said fan blower being connected with the second named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle.

8. A signaling device for toy vehicles comprising a revolubly mounted fan blower, means for rotating said fan blower, a whistle, atubular connecting portion extending between the fan blower and said whistle, a movably mounted member placed in the path of the opening of the whistle for obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, said movable member adapted to be moved from the path'of said opening to effect the audible signaling of the whistle, and means for operating said movably mounted member;

9. A signaling device for toy vehicles comprising a revolubly mounted fan blowerpa motor for continuously rotating said fan blower, a whistle, a tubular connecting portion extending between the fan blower and said whistle, a movably mounted member placed in the path of the opening of the whistle for obstructing the flow of air therethrough rendering said whistle inaudible, said movable member adapted to be moved from the path of said opening to effect the audible signaling of the whistle, and means for operating said movably mounted member.

10. In combination, a toy v'ehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a fan blower, a motor independent of the first-named motor for continuously driving said fan blower, a whistle in communication with said fan blower and self-contained timing means carried by said tgy vehicle for actuating the whistle at predetermined intervals;

11. In combination with a toy vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent of the first-named motor, a fan blower connected with the second-named motor and arranged to drive the fan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle in communication with the fan blower, said whistle having a transverse opening therein, a movable member adapted to align with said transverse opening, and timing means operable by the movement of said vehicle for actuating said movable member. 12. In combination with a toy. vehicle having drive wheels and a motor for imparting rotation thereto, a signaling device comprising a motor independent of the first-named motor, a fan blower connected with the second-named motor and arranged to drive the tan blower continuously during the operation of the toy vehicle, a whistle in communication with the 'fan blower, said whistle having a transverse opening therein, a movable member adapted to align with said transverse opening, and timing means operable by the movement of said vehicle for actuating said movable member, said timing means driven from the fan blower.

- MELVIN R. HALL. 

